STORRS — While some people may continue to be baffled by why Caroline Doty is starting and averaging 17.8 minutes per game for the UConn women's basketball team, the logic is simple for coach Geno Auriemma.

He believes the Huskies are a better team when Doty — averaging only 4.0 points and 2.5 assists — brings all of her five years of experience, high basketball IQ and competitiveness onto the court. That doesn't mean he doesn't continue to challenge her to get better and contribute more to the team's success.

Auriemma sat her down the day before the Duke game and told her in no uncertain terms that if he was looking for one defender to shut down a tough opposing guard, she might be his 12th choice from the Huskies' 11-player roster.

He told her that if she isn't going to concentrate on organizing the offense and defense to get everyone in the right spots, take care of the ball, dictate the style of play and hit timely open 3-pointers, then he has no reason to play her. She responded against Duke with a high-energy, efficient game.

"He reminded me when you play hard and bring your full intensity and you're positive the whole time, good things happen," Doty said. "If you kind of mope around and aren't confident in yourself, bad things are going to happen. I didn't want the Duke game to result the way the Notre Dame game did, so I just played with intensity."

Auriemma said he's liked what he's seen in the team when Doty is playing well.

"Caroline has played really well," Auriemma said. "But most times her game is going to go unnoticed in the stat sheet. But the pass that leads to the assist, the fact that there is a certain calmness to how we are playing ... I thought in the second half she looked like she had complete control of what went on out there."

Auriemma said he thought Doty struggled with that role last year because she still wanted so badly to be the athletic, high-scoring player she was before three ACL knee injuries changed her athletic ability. This year, she's been more accepting of her reality.

"It's a challenge, but as a competitor I know that our whole team strives off of challenges," Doty said. "Chris Dailey, Shea

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Ralph and the whole coaching staff have made it a point to tell me how important it is not to be selfish. So I need to stop worrying about what my role is personally and just kind of do what is best for the team."

Catholic 7 leaving next year?: Auriemma said that he heard from his good friend, Villanova coach Harry Perretta, that the Big East's contingent of seven Catholic schools could very likely leave the conference after this season, potentially leaving the league with only nine teams.

"He said he thinks they are going to have a meeting (today or Saturday) with a couple Catholic presidents to discuss what is happening," Auriemma said. "He thinks they won't be in the league next year. ... Apparently they are negotiating with FOX, and somebody told the Catholic schools they can start it next year. FOX is starting up (its own sports network) so they need content. They need games."

Auriemma said he would relish a nine-team league and isn't worried at all about what it would do to UConn's men's or women's basketball programs.

"Our ship isn't sinking," Auriemma said. "A lot of other ships are sinking, but not ours. Whatever league we are in, we are going to be really, really good. I don't think it matters one iota what league we are in. If we stay in the league we are in, we have a chance to win the league. If we move to another league, we've got a chance to win the league."

Thank you, Mrs. Faris: Auriemma was overwhelmed by Kelly Faris' 18-point, 12-rebound, six-assist effort against Duke that also included outstanding defense and energy.

"I sent a text to her mom the other day," he said, "and I said, 'I just want to say thank you.'"

Auriemma called Faris' Duke game one of the greatest performances in program history. There was talk about the Huskies' role player being a potential All-American. A humble kid, she doesn't want any part of that conversation.

"Honestly, I don't really care," Faris said. "That stuff doesn't really faze me a whole lot. It's not what I came here to do. I didn't come here so that my name would be recognized or that I would be recognized. I came here because this is the best program out there, I thought, and I wanted to become the best player I could possibly be."

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